1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wind deflector.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicles such as cars or automobiles are often provided with a sunroof in the form of a vehicle roof opening and a sliding or folding roof panel or a louvered roof opening, for example. It is well known that variously loud noise occurs at the front edge of vehicle roof openings according to the traveling speed and degree of opening. Therefore, it has been found expedient to provide on the front edge of the roof opening a wind deflector which in its working position is directed obliquely upwardly in the direction of travel and deflects upwardly the air passing over the vehicle roof, so reducing noise and furthermore preventing an undesired and violent draught of air in the interior of the car. The wind deflector in question is preferably mounted in pivotal manner close to the front edge of the roof opening in such a way as to pivot about a pivot axis extending crosswise to the direction of travel, being preferably resiliently pretensioned into its working position and is furthermore provided with a restoring means which, upon closure of the vehicle roof opening, tilts the wind deflector back into its inoperative position for example through the sliding roof.
The construction of the pivot bearing for the wind deflector or wind deflector blade is problematical for various reasons. For example, there is known from German Patent Application DE-A-3100731 a wind deflector of the type indicated above, the pivot bearing of which is connected in the manner of a multi-part hinge rigidly to the roof frame and is also rigidly connected to the wind deflector, accommodating an integral bearing shaft. This pivot bearing, which furthermore comprises a leg spring for automatic pivoting of the wind deflector into the working position, is of relatively complicated construction and requires complicated assembly stages which provide, among other things, for screwing the two pivot bearing parts to the wind deflector or roof frame respectively.
Furthermore, it is known for the pivot bearing in question to be connected to the wind deflector and the roof frame by a clip connection. The disadvantage of a clip connection however is that it cannot accept such a high loading as the aforementioned hinged bearing. Another disadvantage with a clip connection is that it only permits a limited choice of material. Finally, a clip connection permits only a relatively coarse production tolerance for the pivot bearing. It has already been attempted to overcome the problems underlying the pivot bearings for wind deflectors by using a lifting mechanism instead of a pivot bearing. However, this requires a very complicated construction and also special sealing measures. Corresponding wind deflector constructions are known for example from UK Patent 20079 697 and German Patent DE 31 37 191 C2.